There’s a method and a process to annual fundraising.

We can teach you a system that works.

Literacy Center of West Michigan

The Literacy Center of West Michigan works with adults, (native English speakers as well as learners), who read below the 9th grade level and want to improve their reading and/or language skills. They relied heavily on grants to fund their work, and they wanted to diversify their funding sources.

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When we began working with the Literacy Center, they had a very strong grant-writing function, but a very small donor database. We worked with them to implement our complete model of annual fundraising. That work included:

Creating a case for support

Identifying entry-level opportunities for new donors to learn about the mission

Creating and implementing a calendar for donor communication

Revitalizing their donor events by making them mission-centric

Cultivating donors to give at their highest level

Engaging volunteers to solicit gifts and be ambassadors for the organization

Through this work, the Literacy Center achieved impressive fundraising growth:

Tripled the number of donors giving $1,000 or more annually

Building a culture of donors who give of the financial resources as well as their time through volunteering

Increased their donor base by almost 50%

Baxter Community Center

Baxter Community Center was born in the 1970s as a community response to social injustice and unmet needs in the community. After successfully completing a capital campaign, Baxter knew it had to maintain relationships with all the new donors who had made the campaign successful…but they didn’t know how to do it.

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Baxter engaged Kennari Consulting to work with them on a thoughtful and comprehensive donor retention and renewal strategy. We assessed their status, and them helped them implement a holistic plan based on our annual fundraising model:

Continue to cultivate campaign donors and convert them to annual givers

Renew the donors who had become connected with Baxter during the public phase of its campaign

Expand opportunities for new donor relationships through events

Train their board to successfully promote the organization’s mission

Baxter succeeded in its goals. They are serving twice as many families now with emergency food and clothing resources as they did in 2007. They have also been able to expand their Childcare Program by 60%, and serve 400 more people annually in the Holistic Health Clinic thanks to the steady support they receive from donors through their robust annual giving work.

“Kennari has walked along side us to help us grow our infrastructure and our understanding of philanthropy. We are positioned to remain strong and financially healthy, while adapting to changing times.”

Melanie Beelen, Executive Director
Baxter Community Center

"Sandi and her team have helped us realize that fundraising is an achievable skill. It's not just based on personality, or who you know. We have developed confidence in what we can do because the basic building blocks have been put in place."